Looking at November 2024 with Hope and Trepidation

Given that this photo was posted less than 36 hours after Joseph Biden stepped down as a candidate in the 2024 U.S. presidential race, a reader notes: Gen Z isn’t wasting any time.

Good point, but progressives face some tough realities here. Getting young people to vote has never been a piece of cake.

But will it be easier in 2024? Perhaps.

Gen Z is going to be around a lot longer than I will.  One might think that the idea of life on a planet whose daily news includes stories of more frequent and intense floods, wildfires, and wars over disappearing resources would be extremely unappealing. And ignoring climate change is only one aspect of life here that will unfold if Trump is re-elected.  Do our kids want a federal ban on abortion?  Education and lawmaking that are “biblically-based?”

But is this generation up to the task of taking a few seconds to register to vote, and another couple of minutes to cast their ballots?  So many of them seem so disconnected. Overall, unemployment is low, but well-paying and satisfying career paths have given way to extreme wage pressure and oppressive demands from corporations that use people the same way they use IT, inventory, and real estate.